Has Godot Arrived? An Update on the State of Economic Evaluation in Education Research

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Abstract

In the face of resource constraints, research on economic evaluation of educational programs and policies can help direct scarce resources to their most productive uses to address persistent educational challenges. In spite of the potential value of economic evaluation, its application has been limited in educational research due to technical challenges and limited demand among policymakers. However, recent changes to the policy and research context, including new mandates to use evidence to guide decisions and additional supports for rigorous research, has led to an uptick in the use of these methods. We therefore review the rising prevalence and quality of economic evaluation research in education, finding modest but significant increases over the last decade.

Authors

• Robert Shand, American University

• A. Brooks Bowden, The University of Pennsylvania

• Rebecca Davis